Mayor's Office

Welcome to the City of DeKalb! Whether you are a resident, business owner or student, I am honored to represent you and look forward to the opportunity to work together for the common good of our community.

From the invention of barbed wire to the establishment of Northern Illinois University, DeKalb has a rich history, deeply rooted in agriculture and education. Recognizing the important contributions of those who came before us, we must now embrace the opportunities that lie ahead to make DeKalb one of the top places to live, work and learn in the region. By forming partnerships with organizations such as NIU, the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation and others, we can establish DeKalb as a destination for new business and industry, creating a tax base that will support the City’s mission to provide great services and a high quality of life for current and future residents.

I intend to work collaboratively with our City Council and City staff to make DeKalb a more vibrant university community by improving public safety and creating equal opportunity for all our residents. We will do so in a manner that is responsive to the citizens while acting in the best interest of the whole community. We will engage citizens in all neighborhoods to realize our strengths and work together to solve problems. Our City will embrace its diversity, fully supporting the idea that we are all indeed “Proudly DeKalb.”

Yours truly,
Jerry Smith

State of the City Address

On January 14, 2019, Mayor Smith presented the 2019 State of the City during the Committee of the Whole meeting. To view a video recording of the State of the City Address, please click here.

In addition to the official State of the City address, the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce invites the Mayor to present a "State of the City" annually. This event most recently took place on October 3, 2018. To view a video recording of that presentation, please click here.